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KSU field hockey earns share of MAC regular-season title

The Kent State field hockey team earned a share of the Mid-American Conference regular-season title after sophomore Debbie Bell’s five-goal performance led the Golden Flashes to an 8-0 win over visiting Ball State on Sunday.

KSU finishes the regular season at 12-7 and tied with Ohio for first place in the MAC with an 8-2 record. Ball State fell to 4-14 and 2-8 with the loss.

Due to tiebreaker scenarios, Kent State will be the second seed in the upcoming MAC Tournament and will face the winner of the Miami-Missouri State game at 2:30 p.m. on Friday. The entire tournament takes place at Ball State in Muncie, Ind.

Bell started the scoring early for KSU when she teamed up with junior Rachel Miller to score off a penalty corner in the 10th minute. The duo matched single-game NCAA highs for this season, Bell with the five goals, and Miller with the five assists. With 28 goals this season, Bell has equaled Jakolien van Eijk (1997) for the second-most goals in a single year by a KSU player.

The duo was not the only Golden Flash players that lit up the scoreboard Sunday. Playing in her final regular-season home game, senior Laurie Wilkins posted her first multi-goal effort of the year with two goals while also adding an assist. Wilkins, who has played in 81 career games, established a new career high with 20 points (8 goals, 4 assists) this season.

Sophomore Amanda Hoffman accounted for the other goal scored, which was her second goal of the year and came on the Wilkins assist in the 57th minute.

“We had great contributions from everyone on the team today,” said KSU coach Kathleen Schanne. “From the energy on the sidelines to the effort on the field, it was a total team performance.”

Senior captain Allison Kittelberger also had an assist on a penalty-corner goal by Bell to bring her season total to nine. Having started in 62 consecutive games, Kittelberger ranks 10th all-time at KSU with 27 career assists.

Helping the Golden Flashes pitch their fourth shutout of the season was another senior, Kara Rhodenbaugh. Rhodenbaugh and the KSU defense limited Ball State to just four shots on the day.

In goal, junior Caroline Suitch had two saves for her eighth career shutout.

In addition to the three seniors, Kent State also honored assistant coach Natalie Barrett before the game.

The MAC regular-season title is the 10th in school history and first back-to-back championships since the program won three straight from 2003-2005.